Daddy and Me
by Duckyumbrella
Summary: When Ten Acres Academy is about to open, Jim reflects on memories with the man who first gave him the idea of starting the school; his Dad.
1. Chapter 1

So... am I the only one who thought Father's Day was in two Sundays and not this coming Sunday? Yeah... I always have trouble counting the Sundays for Mother's and Father's Day!

Anyways, so here's this Father's Day story I wrote a while back. I hope you enjoy it! :)

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**Daddy and Me**

**Part 1**

30 year old Jim Frayne felt like the happiest man on earth. He had a beautiful wife, a baby daughter, and this time tomorrow, his life-long dream of opening a school for orphaned boys would be fulfilled. Ten Acres Academy would be officially opened.

His green eyes sparkled in merriment as he steered his car through the streets of Sleepyside, the small town he had lived in since he was 15. Jim had just picked up his Dad's gift for Father's day, which was the following week.

His smile faded a little as he thought about Father's day. Though Matthew Wheeler had become a father to Jim since the adoption 15 years before, he couldn't help but remember that this was now Jim's 20th Father's day without his birth father, Winthrop Frayne. Jim absently drove down the familiar streets and let his mind drift down memory lane...

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"Hurry, Daddy! Hurry!" four year old Jimmy yelled from the front door. The small boy and his father were going into the woods behind their house to find the perfect Christmas tree. Jimmy was bundled tight from head to toe, looking more like a miniature coat rack than a human. His father smiled down at him, his green eyes sparkling.

"I'll be ready in a sec, Jimmy. I'm just putting my coat on." Jimmy let out an impatient sigh and stood by the door, tapping his foot in annoyance. Finally, Win picked up the ax and said, "Let's go get the tree." Jimmy smiled and raced out the door at top speed, his emerald green hat flying off his head.

Win chuckled and picked up the small hat, before walking to where Jimmy was impatiently waiting for him to catch up. "Can't forget this." Win said, mussing up the red hair identical to his own before placing the hat firmly on top.

"How's this tree, Daddy?" Jimmy asked, pointing to the first tree in sight. Win looked for a second, before shaking his head. "It's a nice tree, but it's too tall to fit in the living room."

Not to be discouraged, Jimmy raced to the next tree. "What 'bout this tree?" he asked. Win looked up, up, up to the top of the evergreen. Win hid a smirk as he looked at his son. "Son, that tree's too big to fit in our house!"

Jimmy continued from one tree to the next, and Win, always the perfectionist, found things wrong with every single one. "Too wide… Too thin… Too short… Too tall… Too many branches… Not enough branches…" "Daddy, what's the perfect Christmas tree gonna look like?" "It's going to look, well, perfect."

After an hour or so, Jimmy sat down in the snow. He had run a bit ahead of his father, still determined to find the perfect Christmas tree. Where could it be hiding? Jimmy suddenly looked up at the evergreen in front of him. It was the perfect height, the perfect shape, the perfect sized branches to hang lights and ornaments from without drooping. It was indeed the perfect Christmas tree.

"Daddy! Come 'ere!" Win rushed into the clearing to see his son standing at the foot of a beautiful evergreen. Jimmy beamed and shouted, "Look Daddy! I found the perfect Christmas tree!" After inspecting it for a minute, Win agreed it was the perfect Christmas tree.

Win wanted to make sure Jimmy stayed occupied while he chopped down the tree. Staring at the white snow crunching beneath his feet, he was struck with an idea. "Hey Jimmy. Do you want to make a snowman?"

Jimmy's freckled face broke out in a smile. "Yeah! Let's make a snowman!" Jimmy stood in front of his father as Win kneeled down and made a tight ball of snow in his hands. Win handed the snowball to Jimmy, who cradled it like it was a precious diamond. "Now you roll this around to make the head, and I'll make the body." Jimmy nodded and started on the head. Jimmy started a pattern repeating through his head. Roll, pack, roll, pack, roll, pack…

A while later, Win finished sculpting the snowman's body and Jimmy had finished rolling the head. Placing the head on top, father and son went to find things to put on the snowman. Circular smooth black stones were found by the edge of the lake for buttons and eyes, a long, thin pinecone for a nose, long branches for arms, and lastly, they carved the snowman a wide smile. Win and Jimmy surveyed their work, obviously pleased.

"The snowman's name is Mr. Snowy." Jimmy stated, and went to talk to his new friend. Win chuckled and went to cut down the tree. Jimmy talked to Mr. Snowy about everything and nothing, until his father told him it was time to go. While Jimmy didn't want to leave his new friend, the small boy was starting to get cold. Promising Mr. Snowy he'd come back to visit, Jimmy followed Win and the tree back home.

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So there's Jim's first memory!:) Hope you liked it!

I've been so busy lately so it may be an extra day or two till I can update again.

Please review!:)


	2. Chapter 2

Big thanks out to ps9906, 24QueenMo, JJsGirl2, and Mylee for your reviews! You're the best!:)

Yeah I'm surprised as well that I was able to post today:)

Oh yeah I think I forgot to mention in the last chapter that I do not own these charactors just in case you were wondering.

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**Daddy and Me**

**Part 2**

Jim chuckled as he remembered how his mother would fuss to make sure he was warm enough. Every year until his father's death when he was ten, Jim and his dad would go to the woods behind their house, find the perfect Christmas tree, and build a snowman wherever they chopped down the tree.

Jim sighed, wondering why happy traditions like that had to end so tragically. Momentarily pulling himself out of his thoughts, Jim looked out the front window, confused. He had, unconsciously, driven onto the state thruway, but something was keeping him from turning around. Shrugging his shoulders, Jim let his body do the driving and his mind drift off once again…

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"Please Daddy? PLEASE?" Six year old Jimmy asked his father, his green eyes pleading. He sat atop his black gelding, Midnight, and was begging his father to let him try to jump over the short fence. Running a hand through his thick red hair, Winthrop looked his son straight in the eye. "You remember what I told you?" he asked, the tone of his voice signaling defeat.

A wide smile broke across Jimmy's freckled face and he nodded his head vigorously. "Yes!" Win returned his son's smile, answering, "Then go for it!" Jimmy rode off toward the short fence, with Win nervously watching. Midnight galloped toward the fence.

The horse, just before reaching the fence, came to a screeching halt. The look of determination on Jimmy's face turned to one of alarm as he was flung over the head of the horse and crashed onto the hard ground...

His heart pounding, Win Frayne watched in horror as the gelding came to a screeching halt as his son was vaulted over its head and slammed into the ground. Win raced to the still form and kneeled down beside him. Jimmy's face was white against his bright red hair, and his eyes were squeezed shut. Win breathed a sigh of relief when he felt the back of his son's head and drew no blood.

"Jimmy?" he said, patting the child's pale cheek, "Jimmy, please, wake up!" Jimmy groaned softly and opened his eyes, which were dark green in pain. "What is it son?" Win asked, "Where's it hurt?" "My arm." Jimmy answered through gritted teeth. Win now saw that Jimmy's left arm was lying limply on the ground. "Anything else?" he asked. "All over, but my arm hurts the worstest." Jimmy answered.

Win knew that it would be faster to get Jimmy to the hospital by driving him than wait for an ambulance. He whispered softly to the small boy, "Jimmy, I'm going to take you to the place where they'll fix your arm. But I might have to move your arm a little." Jimmy simply nodded, pulling his hurting arm close to his chest.

In one swift movement, Win lifted his small son into his arms, holding the boy close as he heard a soft whimper. He quickly but carefully carried his son to the car. As careful as Win tried to drive though, he couldn't avoid every little bump in the road. Each little bump caused a fresh wave of pain to shoot up Jimmy's arm. By the time they entered the hospital, the small child was openly crying.

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Win sat silently on the couch in his living room, his guilt eating him alive. He shouldn't have allowed Jim to jump over the fence. His small son had broken his left arm in two places, thankfully both clean cuts that would heal easily. Jimmy had a few bruises, but he was lucky it was nothing worse. If it had been worse… Win cringed at the thought. He felt like a horrible father.

He heard a soft thump on the stairs. Win figured his wife, Katie, was coming downstairs after putting Jimmy to bed. "Daddy?" a soft voice called from the doorway. Win turned to see Jimmy walking toward him, adjusting the sling to make it more comfortable. "It's cold upstairs, and Mommy fell asleep in my room. Can I sleep down here with you?" Jimmy asked, shivering a little for emphasis. Win nodded immediately.

Quietly yawning, Jimmy carefully climbed into his father's lap without disturbing his injured arm. Win threw a large blanket around them, giving them warmth on the chilly night. Jimmy leaned his head against his father's broad chest, feeling safe and comforted.

The child looked up into his father's green eyes, his own eyes drooping. He then whispered softly, "'Night Daddy. I love you." Win watched as his son drifted into a deep slumber. Wiping a lock of red hair from the child's face, Win made a silent vow. "I'll protect you, Jimmy. Now and forevermore."

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It was many weeks later when Jimmy absolutely couldn't wait any longer. His cast had been off for a while now, but his parents wouldn't let him do more than walk Midnight. Jimmy desperately wanted to jump again. He knew what he'd done wrong the last time, and knew he could jump over the fence if given the chance.

Jimmy pulled Midnight to a stop before looking his father straight in the eye. "Daddy, can I PLEASE jump? I know I can do it this time. I KNOW I can!" Win studied his son's face. Jimmy's face was masked in determination, not a sign of the careless excitement that Win had foolishly ignored the previous time.

"Tell me what I told you to do when you jump." He said. Jimmy repeated the information with perfection, not missing a single detail.

Pondering the answer for a little while longer, Win finally said, "Well, if you promise to be careful…" "I'll be real careful, Daddy. Promise." Jimmy said, knowing that his father worried. Win smiled and clapped his hand on Jimmy's shoulder. "Then go out there and make me proud!"

"Thanks Daddy!" Jimmy exclaimed before riding off toward the fence. Win watched nervously as Jimmy sent Midnight galloping toward the fence. He cheered as Jimmy and Midnight soared cleanly over the fence.

Jimmy raced over, pulled his horse to a stop, and leaped straight into his father's widespread arms. "Did ya see me, Daddy? Did ya see me?" Jimmy squealed, his smile wide and his eyes bright. Win hugged his son tight and spun him around. "Yes I did. I'm proud of you, son."

The boy hugged him back. "Thanks Daddy." Jimmy paused for a moment, before adding with a smile. "Can you take me huntin' with you now?" Win laughed and ruffled his son's hair, answering, "Let's talk to your mother about that." Jimmy groaned, and father and son started laughing, strengthening the bond between them.

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Reviews are always welcome!:)


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks so much to Mylee, JJsGirl2, and ps9906 for reviewing!:)

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**Daddy and Me**

**Part 3**

Jim smiled at the fond memory. His hand still clutching the steering wheel and his foot on the gas pedal, Jim continued to his unknown destination. A light rain had started to rhythmically tap on the car windows, ticking his mind like a lullaby into a dreamland. But instead of wishful dreams, Jim's mind was filled with memories…

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Nine year old Jimmy stared up at the starry night, listening to his father's deep voice point out each constellation. The two were camping out, with it being the last weekend of summer vacation before Jimmy started school. The warm fire shone brightly against the darkness, though the stars and full moon still gave much light.

Jimmy threw a stick into the fire, causing sparks to fly out like bumblebees out of their hive, soaring in all directions. Jimmy looked back up into the stars; swirling spheres of matter so far away, but yet seemed so close. Jimmy and Win started making up their own stories for the constellations, many consisting of a father and son.

After more star talk, Win and Jimmy took out the marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate for smores. Smores were, of course, traditional camping snacks. Neither having much patience to wait for the marshmallows to slowly toast, Win and Jimmy just stuck the marshmallows in the flame, waited until it caught fire, then blew it out just before the flame completely devoured the marshmallow. But neither minded a little charcoal; it was the company that made the camping trip enjoyable.

Jimmy bit into the smore, the hot, gooey marshmallow threatening the flow over the graham crackers' strong barriers. Figuring the silence had gone on long enough, Jimmy said, "I heard that fourth graders have career day in the beginning of October. They have to choose a career that they want to be when they grow up and write a report on it." Jimmy turned to his father. "What did you want to be when you grew up, Dad?"

Win stared into the fire, lost in thought. The flames were accenting the first of grey hairs creeping through his bright red hair. "Your grandfather taught at a boarding school for boys, and he later became headmaster. When I was little, I wanted to be a teacher like my Dad, but as I met some of the boys at the boarding school and learned how many didn't have much family to go back home to, I thought about starting an academy just for boys who don't have fathers to teach them how to hunt and fish and stuff."

"Why didn't you start that school, Dad? You always say to follow your dreams." Jimmy asked, his green eyes wide in wonder.

Win thought about what to say before answering, "But it was just an idea, not my dream. Then I met your mother in college, then we had you, and I figured that I was perfectly happy farming for a living."

Jimmy sat in silence for a minute, taking this all in. Slowly, he asked, "Did you ever regret not starting the school?" Win immediately answered, "No way! I wouldn't give up my life now for anything!"

Jimmy sat in silence, already picturing himself standing in front of his school, large silver scissors in his hands as he got ready to cut the bright red ribbon. His Dad would stand beside him, a proud smile Jimmy loved to see covering his face. His mother would stand in front of the enormous crowd, telling one and all that her son was THE James Winthrop Frayne the second. Jimmy tried to picture his wife and children there, but while in the image he couldn't see them, he could feel their presence.

Jimmy stared up at the starry night, his wondrous images of the future flashing before his eyes. "Some day," Jimmy said without a doubt, "I'm going to open that school." The boy always wanted to please his father, but Win would never allow Jimmy to live through Win's dreams and not his own.

He chose his words carefully, "Jimmy, you can have your own dreams. Don't just take my fruitless dream and make it your own. You won't be happy otherwise." Jimmy looked his father straight in the eye, "Your idea. My dream."

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I should have the fourth chapter up in time for Father's Day.

Reviews are always welcome!:)


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks to ps9906, JJsGirl2, Mylee, and 24QueenMo for their reviews! Thank you for all your feedback and support!

Now for the final chapter of...

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**Daddy and Me**

**Part 4**

But then, that following July, Mr. Frayne died suddenly of a heart attack on the night of Jimmy's 10th birthday, scarring him for life. 30 year old Jim Frayne looked out the front window in shock. He had, inadvertently, driven into the parking lot of the cemetery where his father had been buried so many years before.

The raindrops pounding on his window turned into a steady heart beat in Jim's mind. A heart beat his father no longer had. A cold chill running down his spine, Jim's mind went unwillingly back to the last time he had come to these rotting, black gates…

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Ten year old Jimmy Frayne walked down the dirt street, his worn backpack a lead weight over his shoulder. The mid-September heat was causing beads of sweat to run down Jimmy's sunburned face, and the clouds of dirt Jimmy's dragging sneakers picked up choked the muggy air. But Jimmy noticed none of this. His mind was on his Dad, who had died just two months before. Two months and six days, he corrected himself.

School had resumed one week before, and Jimmy had hoped the schoolwork would help keep his mind off the death. But, as it seemed, the schoolwork simply reminded Jimmy of Win's inspiration for starting the school. Jimmy gazed out at the fields of grass, where many memories lay. While the memories used to bring joy to his heart, they now brought nothing but pain.

Jimmy suddenly found himself staring at the front gates of the cemetery, the cemetery where his father would forever reside. Jimmy unconsciously walked to his father's grave, which stood as a lonely, cold reminder of the burial. His face turned up, Jimmy yelled, "Why'd you leave me? What did I do wrong? Tell me! Tell me… please… please… please…" His voice broke with a choked cry.

Jimmy's legs turned wobbly and he dropped to his knees, his fists beating against the ground. A waterfall of tears poured out of his sorrow-filled green eyes, and his sides started clenching painfully with every heart-wrenching sob.

Had he stayed there a matter of minutes or a matter of hours, Jimmy did not know. He could've stayed a year and not have noticed. The only thing he was aware of was walking out of the cemetery, never to come back. Until today.

* * *

Jim Frayne soon found himself out of his car and walking through the cemetery. In almost a trance, the red-haired man walked through the rain to his father's gravestone. Jim kneeled down in front of the grave, oblivious to the rain pounding on his back or the squishy mud soaking through his pants. As best as he could, Jim cleaned off the grave stone, scraping off dried mud and pulling away weeds.

Finally satisfied, Jim sat back on his heels and started talking as if Win were sitting right in front of him. He talked about his life over the course of twenty years, from the happiest moments to the saddest, the funniest to the scariest, and everything else he could possibly think of. When Jim finished talking, his voice was hoarse, and rain mixed with tears that had long since started running down his face.

"Thank you, Dad." Jim hiccupped, his voice choked with emotion. "Thank you for all you've done. Thank you for watching over me, and helping me make my dreams a reality. Thank you for being my Dad." With that, Jim stood up and walked away, knowing fully in his heart that Win Frayne had heard him.

* * *

Jim Frayne got into his car, deep in thought. While this trip had brought back bad memories rather left forgotten, Jim felt that the talk in the cemetery had done him a lot of good. It reminded him of the many good memories of childhood he had with his father that helped to overshadow some bad events that had happened afterwards.

Jim stared at the black, rustic gates of the graveyard still in front of his car. As a child, Jim had been terrified of these gates, which closed away friends and family of so many people. It had scared him to think that one day someone close to him would go behind those gates and never come back. That day had come sooner than later.

Jim looked up at the dark rain clouds, the same dark clouds that had darkened his soul for years after his father's death. The storm clouds still existed deep down, but over the years, had gone down to a light sprinkle. It was days like Father's day when the rain increased to thunderous torrents of rain, making Jim miss his Dad so much it hurt.

But talking to his father had brought the heavy rain down to a light sprinkle, the lightest rain it had ever been. For the first time, Jim could see a ray of sunlight peaking through the thick clouds, giving him a new form of happiness he had long-since lost.

Before starting the engine, Jim gazed through tears toward the sky and smiled, saying "I love you, Dad. Happy Father's day." With that, Jim started the engine, pulled into the street and drove away, now with no doubt the happiest man on earth.

**The End**

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I wrote this story a few years ago, and I've gotten comments regarding Jim's family and whatnot. I didn't want to just randomly throw in their names in the final chapter just to get it out there. I'm thinking of perhaps writing a sequel to this that could possibly include Jim's wife and daughter. PM me if you have any suggestions!

Happy Father's Day everyone!

Review!:)


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